Trust
by EveryStringAttached
Summary: Ryan/Natalia if you squint. 'Her response was to cry harder. Letting all of the day’s emotions out in one big flood'. Kind of post ep for 'If Looks Could Kill' done my way :


_A/N- This is a kinda pointless little oneshot I've written purely because I can't sleep. It's Ryan/Natalia if you squint and has a tiny little mention of s5 episode4 (If Looks Could Kill), and for the purpose of thie fic Eric/Natalia never happened. Why? Because I can :) Please R&R :)_

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**Trust**

Natalia was standing on the doorstep in front of a large apartment building. She pulled her jacket tighter around her as she shivered in the unusually cool evening breeze. She wondered why she was even here, would his offer of help extend to her inviting herself over at an unsocial hour, had he even really meant it at all? Pushing the doubts out of her mind she pressed the buzzer.

"Ryan, hi, it's-it's Natalia," she spoke quickly into the speaker.

"Hey," he replied, sounding a little surprised, "Umm, come on up."

She heard a click and the front door opened slightly. Glancing over her shoulder she entered the building, letting the door close softly behind her.

Less than a minute later she had found herself outside his door, contemplating going straight back downstairs. She didn't however, and instead knocked lightly. She heard the chain being taken off the door and it swung open.

"Hi," she greeted him weakly, her hands fumbling nervously in front of her.

Ryan frowned at the state she was in and move aside to allow her to get through, "Come in," he said, tugging at her arm when she didn't move, "I wont bite," he teased, getting what he thought was a glimpse of a smile from her.

As she stepped into the light of the hallway, Ryan could see the remnants of tears streaking her cheeks and immediately became concerned.

"Natalia, what's wrong?" he asked, as she stood in his hallway with her arms wrapped around herself in a defensive gesture.

Getting no answer he ushered her into the living room and over to the couch.

"Hey, why don't you sit down, and I'll go and makes us some coffee okay?" he offered.

"Umm, yeah," Natalia agreed, slowly sitting down on the small couch. She sighed as he left the room, and her eyes wandered over the walls. Lots of pictures, of college buddies, girlfriends and a couple that looked like they could be family. Her concentration was disturbed as Ryan re-entered the room, carrying two steaming cups of coffee.

Natalia accepted hers gratefully, and nodded when she tasted it to find that Ryan had made it just how she liked it. Milky, with two sugars.

Ryan caught the nod and smiled, "I do listen you know, contrary to popular belief," his expression then turned more serious as he broached the subject with Natalia again.

"Wanna tell me what's brought you up here at 11 at night?" he asked kindly, settling himself into the opposite chair.

"I, umm, it's Nick I think, he's following me," she admitted, keeping her gaze averted from Ryan's.

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked, immediately regretting it.

Natalia shook her head and went to stand up, "Ryan I'm sorry, I should just, I'll go," she placed the cup of coffee down on the table and picked up her purse.

"No, Natalia wait," Ryan stood up, effectively blocking her way to the door, "I didn't, um, I meant, are you sure he's following you? because you've had a really rough day,"

He inwardly groaned as he realised that the latest attempt was not much better.

"I'm not seeing things Ryan," Natalia protested, side-stepping him in order to get to the door.

"I'm not saying you are, okay, just sit down, and explain it to me," he sat down on the couch and gently pulled her down with him.

Natalia sighed before beginning, "You know he showed up at work today."

Ryan nodded, he head heard about it through the gossip grapevine in the lab, but out of concern he had asked her personally about it later on. It was then he had said if she ever needed help, she could come to him. He didn't expect it of course, he was the one who had been most harsh on her, when she'd joined the team, but here she was anyway, on his couch, trusting him.

"I told him to back off, and he just, he gave me this horrible smile," she looked up to Ryan to see only kind eyes, that made her feel safe.

"I got home earlier and when I looked out of my kitchen window, I saw him. Sitting there in his car and he looked straight at me. As soon as I moved towards the door he drove off," she explained, her voice quiet and shaky.

"Did he come back?" Ryan asked, not believing that this man would have the nerve to start following Natalia, not after he'd been to jail for attacking her.

She nodded, "Yeah he uh, he must have driven around the block then parked back up again. He was still out there when I was getting ready for bed. I didn't wanna call anyone because he wasn't breaking any law and he would have been gone before anyone got there anyway," she drew in a shaky breath, "I'm so scared of him Ryan, I couldn't sleep knowing he was out there, I just," she paused, then let out a quiet sob, "I didn't know what to do."

"Did he see you come out, did he follow you here?"

Natalia shook her head, before burying her face in her hands, "I'm not sure…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you with this, but today you said, and I just thought that…"

"Natalia I meant what I said okay," he reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm here for you, I'm glad you came to me," he ran his hand down her arm and took her hand in his.

"You're safe here alright?" he told her, to which she nodded weakly, "But we're gonna have to tell Horatio about this," he saw the look on her face and added, "In the morning, we'll let him know everything in the morning okay?"

"Mmhmm," Natalia mumbled, before breaking down into tears. She leant forward, head in her hands, her shoulders gently shaking with each sob. She wasn't strong enough to handle Nick all over again, it was too soon, it would always be too soon.

Before he realised what he was doing he had gently pulled Natalia into a hug, and to his surprise she relaxed into his embrace, resting her head on her shoulder and allowing him to wrap his arms around her.

'It's gonna be okay Nat," he soothed, not noticing that he had used a nickname he had never used before.

Her response was to cry harder. Letting all of the day's emotions out in one big flood. She felt safe in his arms. She was allowing him to see her at her worst. And she didn't care. She just continued to cry.

With time the sobbing had slowed to soft hiccupy sniffles and Natalia finally sat up and faced him. She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and gave Ryan a half smile.

"Ryan I…thank you," she blushed, slightly embarrassed that he had just witnessed her completely break down, but also grateful that he cared.

"Don't mention it," he replied, rubbing her shoulder gently, "Listen why don't you stay here tonight, get some rest?" he asked, noting the time on the clock behind them. It was after 12, and he didn't want her going anywhere on her own this time of night. Not with Nick around, wherever he was.

Natalia bit her lip, grateful for the offer, she really didn't want to have to make her way home in the dark, Nick could be anywhere. The problem was she didn't have any spare clothes or anything to sleep in. As if reading her mind, Ryan spoke up,

"If you don't mind, I have plenty of old T-Shirts you could sleep in and I err, I always have a spare toothbrush, you know for…when mine breaks."

Natalia laughed slightly at his last comment, but still looked unsure.

"I'd really rather you stayed here tonight, then I know you'll be safe," he told her, meaning every word.

He had been so hard on her when it was revealed she was the mole in the lab, and hadn't exactly been civil to her as she was going through her CSI training. But he'd remembered that he was once the new kid, the outsider and had made an effort in the past few weeks especially to get to know her better, and become her friend, in the process finding out that they actually had a lot in common.

Natalia smiled, she could tell his concern was genuine, from the look in his eyes, "Okay, umm, thank you Ryan," she repeated, "For tonight."

"S'what friends are for right?" he said, blushing slightly as he said it.

"Yeah," Natalia smiled back at him, and he gestured for her to follow him to the spare bedroom.

The events of the night weren't forgotten, and she'd have to sort them out in the morning, but for now Natalia was able to push them to the back of her mind. And as she slipped on an old t-shirt of Ryan's, she felt strangely comforted by it's scent. She trusted him, she realised as she laid her head on the pillow, he was the first person she'd really trusted since coming to the lab. That's why she had ended up at Ryan's place tonight, not Calleigh's or Eric's. There was something about him that just made her feel safe.

She closed her eyes and smiled slightly as Ryan's words echoed in her mind _'It's gonna be okay Nat'._

It was all going to be okay.

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_Hmm, not sure about this, but would love your opinions :)_

_LeAnne :)_


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